Poppin' Questions

I have not blogged since June 8th. The masses have been pacing rooms across the world in angst but here is the reason...



No, I haven't been taking pictures of hands....I have been plottin' and planning a proposal to my beautiful little lady, Elysabeth Hahm.

She said yes. (Details to be found here)

...get Lost my friends.

Being Eye-lash Equipped

One of my earliest posts on this blog described the phenomenon at my kindergarten school here in Seoul that involved the kids petting me. Literally, stroking my arm and snuggling as if my name were Toto.

Well, that compares not to my friend big Dave's petting experience.

Dave hails from Nebraska, stands at 6-foot-3 and a freckly face topped by luscious red hair smooth him into the "ginger" category of slightly offensive stereotyping. So you can imagine how he might just standout in Korea. Light blue eyes and a kind smile make him a direct gawking target of an already overly staring culture.

This never phased Dave, however. Until one special old lady cemented how curious Korean's actually are with him.

While riding the subway like any other normal city resident, Dave noticed the old lady sitting next to him staring unabashedly. He really thought nothing of it, so he focused his attention back on his book. He was in the middle of a page when all of sudden a finger slowly drifted between his eye and his glasses. That finger then gently stroked his eye-lashes. Dave, the epitome of composed, did not even flinch.

Before you re-read what I just wrote, let me re-paint this picture as if you were sitting across the way.

Red-headed Dave and an old Korean woman smooshed together on a bench-style subway seat. Just picture it. Dave, gently reading his book, old lady looking up and chomping at the bit to get a piece of what those lashes feel like.

You can see her sweating with anxiety over the unknown follicles fluttering in front of her. Finally, once Dave is lost in the middle of a page, she makes her ascent into complete violation of space.

One stroke...two stroke...three and it's all over.

Once the task is complete, her heart literally floats from her chest with joy. Dave, meanwhile, just turns the page and keeps on reading, smirking slightly.

The whole thing blows my mind.

Ha, I still laugh just thinking about it.

...get Lost my friends.

The Art of High-Fiving

I love telling little kids to high-five. It's a beautiful thing.

Beginning Stages of High-Fives from Mark Ratto on Vimeo.

...get Lost my friends.

Molly.

The newest member of the family.





Liz and I have been dating for well over four years and for well over four years, she has wanted a puppy dog. Well, Molly's the lucky little lady. She's unworldly adorable.

...get Lost my friends.

The Seoul City Wall

I've hiked an ancient wall. I'm a man now.


{Jamie and Michael mapping out the trip. Parts of the wall were taken down to make way for streets over the centuries, so we had to navigate some back alleys to find the main part of the wall that still stands today. In case you hadn't noticed the poncho so elegantly draped over Michael, we had some rain fall happening.}


{The long stretch of wall we hiked alongside. We had to get to top of that mountain in the distance. It does not look very high, but that's just the angle. It's actually a really long trail to the top so the peak looks low, but it's not, trust me.}


{Some foliage.}


{Made it!}


{Leaving the wall for a little mid-day re-fueling in a quaint neighborhood a short distance down from the trail.}


{We stopped for a carbo-load and it ended up being some of the best pasta we had had in Seoul to date. Abbiamo mangiato buono miei amici.}


{This is the gate to the most important section of the wall. It runs behind the most recent dynasty's ancient palace. But it also, and more importantly, runs behind the Blue House which is the equivalent of White House in D.C. We had to show our passports and sign in to get back on the trail.}


{Ice cream and traditional buildings, perfect. Each new section we became more aware of how good this day was.}


{This felt good.}


{Ancient walls really provide moments of contemplation. Not only about the history and culture the wall represents, but of the place you're in at that moment in life. Both physically and emotionally. Now, this particular picture was taken for photo-op purposes. She hopped on and off fairly quickly. But Jamie's peaceful moment in this picture explains the complete experience of following this very old piece of construction.}


{And finally, after about six hours of walking, climbing, observing and laughing, the reward.}

Thanks Jamie. Thanks Michael. Super good day.

...get Lost my friends.

A Little Video Action For Ya'

This is some footage of two different classes I have back-to-back. Awesome little kids.

Enjoy!

My Little Korean Kids from Mark Ratto on Vimeo.

...get Lost my friends.

Open Air Market

Just five blocks north of my little neighborhood resides a bigger, more dense and generationally older neighborhood. Within those few square miles is any cooks dream, an open air market. You can get it all. Produce, meat, fish, herbs, spices, exotic nuts, handmade noodles roots, pig feet, chicken feet, eel and multiple different types of animal intestines.

I can cruise out to the the bustling alleyways of the market and grab two weeks worth of produce for 8 bucks. A block of still warm tofu made that hour costs $1.50. But the best moments happen when I don't buy anything at all. I just walk through this perfectly Korean place and soak it in.


(Korean side dishes. This is what they eat instead of french fries.)




(That's a beef carcass, just hangin out.)






(These are roots used for soup broths, I think.)

...get Lost my friends.